Bright Lights
by ADisgraceFF
Summary: The class go on a camping trip and their campfire discussions become otherworldly
1. Bright Lights

The sky is so much more beautiful here than in the city. No street lights or neon signs pollute the surroundings, and the stars have reclaimed the sky. They've set up their campsite in a clearing for the view of it; they don't get to see the milky way at home.

They've spent most of the day hiking here and swimming in the lake. The water is warm this time of year and it makes for a refreshing break from the heat. In fact, once you dive into that clear blue water, it becomes impossible to bring yourself to leave it. Their fingers quickly pruned but it didn't stand in the way of the fun; racing each other, dunking each other, and countless chicken fights. By the time they come to shore and dry off, the sun is setting and they've worked up an appetite.

They cooked sausages, corn on the cob, tinned beans, and jacket potatoes over the campfire, and by the time their done and have cleaned up the stars are out. So it's then, in the clearing that they get to talking.

The cooler's been opened and they're about two beers in when Alexy sets the flow of conversation. "Did I ever tell you all about the time I saw a flying saucer?"

A gentle laugh rings around the campfire, but the circle of bodies grows narrower, leaning in to hear more.

The corners of Armin's eyes crinkle and his lips upturn as he speaks. "Wait 'til you hear this."

Alexy sits up straight, and speaks low and slow. "So I'm walking home by the park, headphones in, and it's like nine o'clock-ish," he begins, setting the scene, "And this bright light comes from behind me and I think it's car headlights, so I turn around and there's this huge bright disc floating in the sky."

Castiel snorts. "And let me guess, it beamed you up ?"

Peggy makes a shushing noise and Alexy continues on.

"There's no plane that looks like what I saw. Here, let me show you." Alexy grabs the stick they've been using to stoke the fire and uses it to illustrate his point. He draws a Frisbee shape and a semicircle beneath it into the dirt.

Kim studies the picture and then scrunches her nose. "No offence 'Lex, but that looks like every U.F.O in ever sci-fi film ever."

Nathaniel thinks quietly to himself before commenting. "Well, I think sightings of U.F.O's are what influenced their media portrayals. I wouldn't dismiss his claim based on it being a stereotypical depiction of a flying saucer."

Amber's eyes go wide and her beer can spills over as she gestures towards Alexy. "Do you really believe in aliens, Nath?" Amber can hardly sit still, her own flesh and blood, buying into this crazy talk.

"Well, I find it hard to believe we're alone given the vastness of the universe. I think the question of whether there's anyone else out there is the greatest mystery there is. "

Lysander nods. He wouldn't call himself a believer or a sceptic, he's more of an alien agnostic, but he can't deny that the question is unanswered.

"Did you get a picture of it?" Peggy asks, "I could run it in the paper for you."

Alexy shakes his head, his shoulders slumped and his eyes averting Peggy's gaze. "Nah, I didn't even for a picture, I just booked it out of there."

Armin puts a hand on his brother's shoulder. "There's no shame in running, I would have freaked out too."

Castiel rolls his eyes and folds his arms. "Oh c'mon, you guys can't seriously believe this? My Dad's a pilot, you think with all that time in the air he would've seen something by now."

Alexy takes the stick in his hand again and scratches away his dirt drawing. "If you have a rational answer for what I saw, I'd be happy to hear it."

The group pauses, searching for an explanation that will make sense of all this.

After some time thinking, Priya volunteers an answer. "A military exercise of some sort?"

"I think a lot of flying saucers are really just military planes," Lysander muses, "But in Paris? I think they're more likely to run military exercises in rural areas."

Nobody else can offer a good explanation. Military exercises don't take place in cities, they don't test new planes in densely populated areas, they stick to the countryside where no bystanders can get injured or see what the military is up to. Besides, there's no air force base near Amoris.

Alexy's story seems to have created some tension, so the group gladly lets the subject drop. They move on to discussing Summer plans and what they'll do when the season ends. Conversation becomes less heated and they chat, dance, drink, and party the night away.

Castiel climbs into his tent at ridiculous hour altogether and falls deep asleep the moment his head hits the pillow.

When he's awoken by bright lights and wurring noises coming from outside the tent, he's sure it's his inebriated brain playing tricks on him. He thinks. He hopes.


	2. Just Visiting

His parents are home for a few days before they head off again. They're taking over the Moscow route for the next couple of months and his mother has promised him a snow globe of St. Basil's Cathedral for the mantelpiece. He hasn't really cared about collecting globes since he was a kid, but she's not the type to break with tradition, so a new one arrives each time they're assigned a new destination.

The camping trip has been playing on Castiel's mind. Alexy's story was ridiculous, but he can't explain it away. It can't be dismissed as lies either; Alexy is not that type of person. And what's more, he can't make sense of the lights and noises that came from outside his tent.

It's painfully obvious that Castiel's been distracted by it. It's his only thought. He drifts out of conversations, eyes fixed on nothing and staring far off into nothingness. Even his family notice.

Jean-Louis isn't the sort of man to push and prod, and he'd much rather leave it alone until Castiel comes to him about his problems, but Castiel doesn't talk about feelings. So he waits until he and Castiel are occupied in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner, when he broaches the subject.

"You've seemed a quiet lately, is everything alright?" He asks, not looking up from the chopping board. Sometimes it's easier to talk when there's no eye contact, conversation seems more casual, less serious when someone's not staring you down for an answer.

Castiel merely shrugs and continues deseeding the chilies in front of him. "I'm fine," he says, sounding very nonchalant.

"Okay," Jean-Louis pauses, carefully choosing his words, "as long as you know that you can talk to me anytime. Even when I'm away."

"Yeah Dad, I know." Castiel snorts but looks up to meet his father's eyes anyway.

They return to a comfortable silence, only the chopping of the knives and the distant hum of the radio breaking the quiet. There's no awkwardness, they don't need words right now.

They're plating up when Castiel finally brings up the only thing he's thought about for the last week. He wants to get it out in the open before his mother joins them to eat. "Weird question," he begins, trying to make it seem as though he hasn't been stressing out over this, "Do you believe in aliens? You hear about pilots seeing things in the sky and I was wondering what you thought."

Jean-Louis' face grows grim and he almost drops the spatula as his hands tremble by his sides. "I don't know what to believe. There are no answers for the things I saw."

"What did you see?" Castiel almost shouts it, his words are quick and spoken sharply. He simply must know.

"Lights, shapes, it was all a blur of white through the windshield." Jean-Louis shakes his head, he sounds confused when he speaks of it, even now.

Castiel tries not to push the subject, it's clearly a sensitive issue, but it's left him with more questions than answers.

Jean-Louis takes two plates from the kitchen countertop and walks towards the dinner table. "Say nothing to your mother."

They're silent through dinner. It's true that Valerie is the more talkative of the three, but today it goes beyond what's normal for them. Castiel eats quickly, the atmosphere is unpleasant and the sooner he can free of it the better.

When they're done he doesn't stay to help with the dishes, he retreats to his bedroom and immediately reaches for his phone.

 **To:** Alexy  
 **From:** Castiel  
 _Sorry about the other night. I believe you._

It takes Castiel a long time to craft the perfect message, it takes even longer to admit that he does truly believe Alexy. He's been doubting himself since that night in the tent, and his exchange with his father only confirms it; aliens are real.

 **To:** Castiel  
 **From:** Alexy.  
 _No problem! What changed your mind?_

 **To:** Alexy  
 **From:** Castiel  
 _Can you get to the park tonight?_

Alexy finds Castiel sitting on the park bench with Demon lying calmly between his feet. Alexy takes a seat next to Castiel, pausing to pet the dog, and the conversation takes hold slowly.

It takes Castiel some time to find his words, he's not good at apologies and he doesn't make a habit of making them regularly, but Alexy deserves one. Sorry for laughing, for doubting, for the whole thing.  
When Alexy asks why he's changed his mind, it's a different story. Gone are the awkward, stunted apologies, now Castiel pours out everything. He speaks quickly, he needs it all out in the open at last. He tells him of the lights, the noises, his father. If this makes three people with stories of UFO's there must be some truth to it, right?

"Woooow," Alexy says, leaning back against the bench and throwing his head up towards the sky, "That must have been terrifying."

Castiel doesn't reply, he has no intention of showing fear here. Instead, he lets Alexy carry on speaking.

"Like, I already believed in aliens," Alexy continues, looking down at the embroidered U.F.O patch on his book bag, "And even then it was still scary to see what I did."

Castiel nods in agreement. This experience has uprooted him. It is isolating and all-consuming, its forced it's way inside his mind and he can't say a word about it to anyone. "Are you still scared?" he asks. He as to know, do the bad feelings ever go away?

"I was for a long time," Alexy smiles gently, admitting something he's hidden from so many for so long, "But I figured if so many people have seen aliens over the years, and they still haven't invaded or whatever, they're not going to hurt us." Alexy 's laughing at himself now. "I think they're just visiting."

Castiel snorts, he doesn't acknowledge it out loud, but Alexy does have a point and it's a reassuring one. Humans have visited space, we've done it to them, why wouldn't they do it to us?

Alexy glances at his phone to check the time and his smile falls. "Look, I've got to head home, but you can come with if you want. I've got a telescope, we can invade the aliens' privacy for a change."

As great as it sounds, Castiel should probably be getting home. His parents aren't in town often and he should probably use this time to spend it with them, be social. "I can't tonight, next time?"

"Next time."


End file.
